


Before the Enchanted Forest Hotel

by cheshire6845



Series: Thank God for the Sinners [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Enchanted Forest Hotel, F/F, Hotel Artemis - Freeform, How They Met, Prequel, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-27 01:46:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15675549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheshire6845/pseuds/cheshire6845
Summary: Prequel story - When the Queen met the ThiefOrThe one where Regina is an assassin and Emma was just trying to steal some emeralds(not necessary to read EF Hotel but more fun)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As I was posting The Enchanted Forest Hotel, the idea for how Regina and Emma knew each other was born. This was supposed to be a quick little one shot that grew into a 10k word count. I don't think it's necessary to read EF Hotel first but it might give some more depth to the characters.  
> Hope you enjoy!

As the suggested theme for the evening, Emma Swan had chosen to wear a dark green, floor-length gown to the museum’s gala event. She wasn’t a floor-length gown kind of gal, but she wanted to reasonably blend in with the rest of the crowd. Pride, however, still dictated that her outfit highlight her assets. A thigh high slit with sky high heels, a triangular shaped cutaway teasing a view of her muscular abs, and one bare shoulder and toned arm did the trick. She felt more than one lustful gaze follow her as she strolled through the doors, handing off her counterfeit invitation to the doorman with a wink.

Once inside, she happily accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and began to work the room. She was, after all, on the job and not just attending the fancy party for kicks. Cartagena’s Museum of Modern Art was hosting a traveling exhibition of priceless emerald jewelry on loan from the International Emerald Museum, and Emma had a client who was interested in owning one of the necklaces. Apparently, no matter how much money one had, you couldn’t simply _buy_ jewelry that had once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. You could, however, bankroll an elite thief to pick it up for you.

Emma didn’t go directly to the necklace itself; after all, it wasn’t like she was planning to steal it during the gala. She took her time, nodding politely as she tried to appreciate the art pieces arranged throughout the first floor of the building. She noted the security surveillance, the entrances, exits, and blind spots. People probably thought she was thoroughly entranced by the abstract red and black square painting she appeared to be studying, but really, she was giving her contact computer time to scan its security.

There was a general buzz of languages floating around the space as people socialized. She couldn’t understand most of what was being said around her, a hazard of working internationally, but she had a universal translator in her ear for any direct conversations. She didn’t need the tiny transmitter though to clue her in when a hush swept over the crowd. Slowly, she turned to see what the fuss was about, and what she saw made her mouth go dry, her cheeks flush, and something a bit lower in her abdomen do a flip.

A male voice somewhere behind Emma muttered what sounded like a prayer, and she found herself agreeing with the sentiment. She’d offer up most anything to any deity for a chance to worship the woman that had just walked into the room. She laughed at herself for the thought but couldn’t quite convince herself to look away from the vision in black.

Emma chuckled when she realized the woman had bucked the theme of the evening with her sleeveless black mermaid gown that was almost simple except for the dark decorative beadwork along the neck. The woman’s only nod to the evening’s theme was a pair of emerald earrings. They were the perfect accent to the woman’s dark red lips and striking makeup. Dark eyes were heavily lined which somehow made them shine brighter as Emma stared…and realized the woman was staring back at her.

Emma almost dropped the glass of champagne she was holding. There really was no feeling like getting caught staring and she’d definitely been staring. Blatantly. The dark crimson lips pursed in amusement and Emma realized she was _still_ staring. “Fuck me,” she muttered under her breath. The lips twitched as the corner of the mouth pulled upwards. An eyebrow arched and Emma felt her face go completely hot as the woman had clearly been able to understand what she said.

Then the spell was broken as the woman looked away, drawn into the conversation near her. Emma sucked in a breath she hadn’t realized she’d needed. She looked around and was thankful that the world seemed to have continued turning while she had been held under the woman-in-black’s thrall. Everyone had gone back to their drinks and their own conversations. No one seemed to realize what a complete horndog stood in their midst. Did she really need new underwear just from looking at the woman? Yes. Yes, she did, because when she looked again, she saw that the woman had turned and the dress was backless. Emma damn near swallowed her own tongue before downing the entire glass of champagne she’d been carrying for a half hour. Warm bubbles tickling her nose and throat made her eyes water and she was finally able to break the spell entirely. Clearly, she needed a drink harder than champagne and she convinced herself to go find the open bar that was rumored to be in the basement.

As she left, she didn’t notice the woman-in-black’s gaze following her out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two hours later and Emma had finally made it to the second floor where the visiting exhibit of emeralds was being displayed. The Godman necklace was one of three centerpieces for the exhibit, and she had to admit it was pretty, not her style, but pretty. The security on the second floor was also incredibly laxer than it should have been. It was almost as though the museum was counting on the upper floor being less accessible. Sometimes, they made it too easy for her.

She perused all the main emerald pieces, exchanged a few pleasantries with other guests, and began working her way around the perimeter of the room, taking in the artwork displayed on the walls. The museum had definitely stuck with their theme as most of the paintings on this level were of a greener hue. She was looking at one in particular that reminded her of a coastal sea wave when she felt someone approach her side.

“Exquisite.”

It was not a masculine voice like she’d been expecting to hear. It was not a voice she’d ever heard before and yet Emma already knew _exactly_ who it belonged to. She kept her focus on the painting as she swallowed thickly then managed, “It’s not my favorite.”

“I was talking about your ass.”

Emma choked on her drink, and the painting was lucky it didn’t get sprayed. That was the sort of comment she was accustomed to hearing at a bar, maybe by a guy in a suit that thought he was all that; in this setting, coming from that mouth, the comment blindsided her. Still coughing, she turned to see the woman-in-black standing beside her. The brunette arched an eyebrow at Emma’s watery stare.

“That was a compliment, Miss Swan.”

Lips stained the color of a deep merlot wrapped around the edge of the crystal champagne flute the woman-in-black was carrying. She tipped the glass upwards and gold liquid rushed forward and disappeared into her mouth. Emma thought watching her swallow might have just reduced her brain to jello. Then a jolt straightened her spine and a cold stab of fear doused her lustful thoughts.

“How did you know my name?”

The lips curled into a smirk. “Caught up, have you?”

“I have a feeling you enjoy being distracting.”

“I try.”

“Answer the question,” Emma said, a note of hardness creeping into her tone. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m sure you’ve done your research on me by now,” she said, pretending to examine the painting. “What makes you think I wouldn’t have done mine on you?”

If Emma was a normal person, she’d probably find that disturbing, as it was, she simply found it flattering. And yes, when she finished at the museum, she had planned on using her not so few resources to find out exactly who the woman-in-black was, but she’d had more important things to tend to while at the party. What those things were that had taken her priority, she couldn’t name at the moment.

Dark brown eyes found hers again when she didn’t reply, studied her for a moment, and then for a second widened the slightest degree. “Oh, I see. You _don’t_ know who I am.”

Emma foolishly believed that after that momentary surprise she had noticed a hint of disappointment in the dark gaze. If she could kick her own ass, she would. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied.”

“Well, then,” the woman said, a wall slamming into place, “don’t let me disturb your work.” She pushed her empty champagne glass into Emma’s hands, their bodies moving incredibly close to each other in the process. “And be sure to note the secondary security system attached to the central air ducts leading to the roof. It’s new, state-of-the-art and easily missed.”

“It’s also easily by-passed,” Emma said with a smirk of her own, finally feeling like she was able to move off her back foot. “Who are you?”

“Are you asking for my name or who I am?”

“I’ll settle for a name,” Emma said, “for now.”

The woman hesitated, her gaze flicking down to steal a glance at the blonde’s mouth. “Regina.”

She finally had a name to go with the goddess fantasy she had rolling in her head. She could tweak it to fit a queen. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty.” Regina arched an eyebrow; Emma shrugged. “You know, because your name means…never mind. How’d you know I would care about the alarm on the air duct?”

Regina snorted slightly and stepped back. “You’ve checked out every other aspect of security this place has to offer.”

There was a thrill of panic at the idea that someone noticed she’d been casing the place, but it was easily subdued. Clearly, Regina wasn’t interested in turning her in so Emma went with the more interesting aspect of that observation. “Have you been watching me all night?”

The slightest hint of color tinted Regina’s cheeks, but she recovered quickly. “Do you really want to compare notes on who has been watching whom this evening?”

Emma didn’t bother denying it. “All right, so clearly, we’re both interested in each other. Where does that leave us?” She wasn’t exactly working on a loose schedule with time for dating, but she could make it work.

“If you’re finished with what you came here to do, we could leave,” Regina suggested.

“Together?”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Yes, Miss Swan, together.”

Emma didn’t appreciate the sarcasm. “But aren’t you here with someone?”

“Not anymore.” The brunette stepped into Emma’s space and gently tucked a loose blonde tendril back behind Emma’s ear. “My hotel is only a few blocks from here. Care to join me?”

Emma literally felt her lips part as her jaw dropped open. “Wha-?”

“Are you always this articulate?” Regina smiled then brushed the back of her knuckles across the blonde’s cheek. “Relax, Miss Swan, I’m not looking for anything remotely resembling a relationship with a thief.”

That stung a little bit. What did being one have anything to do with being the other? “So, you just want to go back to your hotel and screw then?”

Regina glared at her when two people glanced their way, grinning. She hissed, “Must you always be so insolent?” She spun on her heel and began walking towards the stairs leading for the front door.

Emma easily caught up to her, dropping the empty champagne glasses on a passing waiter’s tray. “Are you really calling me rude when you’ve clearly ditched your date and are now looking to have a hook-up with the hot chick?”

Regina came to a stop so suddenly Emma almost ran into her. She turned ever so slowly to eye the blonde. “Oh, my dear, Miss Swan, in what scenario between the two of us would you ever be considered the ‘hot chick’?”

Emma was momentarily dumbfounded and had to once again hustle to catch up with Regina. For someone walking on stilettos, the woman could really move when she wanted to. “Regina!” She caught up to her, reaching for her elbow just as they reached the front door. “Regina, wait, come on.”

“I am ready to leave, Miss Swan,” Regina snapped, tugging her elbow free as she strode past the security guards; a third man hustled to open the front door for her. Emma glanced sheepishly at the security guys who were desperately trying to not observe the scene happening in front of them.

“Are you coming or not?”

The question had been thrown back over the brunette’s shoulder, and while Emma felt very confused thinking she had ruined her chances, she rushed through the still open door, muttering thanks to the doorman. She found Regina waiting for her on the sidewalk, standing next to a black sedan with dark tinted windows.

A siren sounded in the distance and Emma frowned as Regina scanned the horizon. She was about to ask how Regina knew her car would be ready to pick her up, when two of the security guys that had been outside smoking, threw down their cigarettes and rushed towards the doors. Emma turned to watch them go, wondering what had happened. Another siren joined the night air.

“Miss Swan,” Regina snapped, gaining the blonde’s attention. She had the back door of the sedan open. “It’s time to leave.”

“What’s the rush?” Emma asked, walking towards Regina.

Regina again glanced down the street. The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles could be seen approaching the museum. “Emma. Get in the car. _Now_.”  

The brunette didn’t wait, grabbing the blonde by the arm and shoving her inside the car. She quickly followed her in and as soon as the door was shut, the driver sped off.

“What the hell?” Emma said, bracing her hand against the window as the driver pulled away from the museum. They were less than a block away when the driver veered to the side of the road to make way for a speeding ambulance followed by two police vehicles. Emma spun around in her seat and watched all three cars arrive at the museum, their bulk blocking the driveway.

The sedan’s driver smoothly pulled the car back onto the roadway. His dark eyes glanced into the rearview mirror. “The hotel, Ms Mills?”

“Yes, thank you, Graham.” Regina pulled a compact out of her clutch and checked her reflection.

Emma settled down into her seat, tugging her twisted dress out from beneath her. “All right,” she said, “what the hell was that?”

Regina huffed as she dusted her cheeks. “ _That_ was a getaway that should’ve been a lot smoother.” The driver snorted ruefully and she shot a glare at him. She was well aware it had been close without him commenting. “Had we stayed there another minute, we wouldn’t have been able to leave for hours.”

“Uh huh,” Emma grunted, “and, uh, why the sudden rush to leave?”

Regina snapped the compact shut and shoved it into her clutch. “Did you not notice the cavalcade of police arriving? Did you want to stay for that?”

“Nope,” Emma shook her head. “I’ve got no problem avoiding the CNP, but uh, forgive me if I’m wrong, you seemed to know they were coming.”

Regina eyed her for a long moment before reaching once again into her clutch. Emma tensed slightly then relaxed when the brunette pulled out her phone. She ignored the blonde’s exhale and scrolled up the screen to a timer that showed thirty-eight minutes and counting. She showed it to Emma. “Precisely thirty-eight minutes ago, I slipped a drug into my date’s drink that would cause him to have a heart attack. Therefore, thirty minutes ago, I knew it was time to leave. It took at least three minutes to get you in the car. So, next time, when I tell you to do something and I seem like I’m in a hurry, would you please just do it.”

Emma blinked. A murderer had just confessed to her. She was riding in a strange car with a hot, sexy murderer. A hot, sexy murderer that didn’t seem at all upset about her crime. In fact, she seemed much more concerned with having her schedule interfered with. And then there was, of course, that other little detail. “ _Next_ time?” Emma squeaked out.  

Regina exhaled heavily and tucked her phone away. She straightened in her seat and stared out the window. “We’ll be at the hotel in a few minutes. You can walk away.”

Emma was feeling a lot of things, several mixed emotions about the woman sitting next to her, and the many things she had just said, and yet Emma’s mind balked at the idea of…leaving. The driver’s warm eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror and she frowned at the man, uncomfortable with the concern he conveyed with a single second glance. She awkwardly moved to run a hand through her hair then remembered she was still dolled up and dropped her hand back to her lap. “Okay, I just…I got to know one thing.”

“What is it, Miss Swan?” Regina asked, sounding tired as she dropped her gaze to her lap.

Emma swallowed thickly, “ _Who_ are you?”

The smile Regina offered her when she looked at her was shallow and brittle. “I’m the Queen.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see what I had in mind for Regina's hotel, check out Casa Pestagua Hotel Boutique.

When the car slowed to a stop in the middle of a narrow street, Emma followed Regina out of the car and looked around. “ _This_ is your hotel?”

Regina smirked at her from the medieval looking doorway. “You were expecting something different?”

Emma eyed the typical orange-ish façade and white upper floor balcony. She’d expected a beach side high rise penthouse. She shrugged. “It looks nice?”

The smirk turned into a full-blown grin and seemed to wipe away the melancholy that had descended upon the Queen in the car. “Come on, I can call for the hotel’s car service to take you wherever you want to go.”

Emma hooked a thumb in the direction where the sedan had just driven away. “Why not just have Graham drop me off somewhere?”

“For one, that isn’t Graham’s job,” Regina said not unkindly, then raised a playful brow, “and two, would you really have trusted me if I’d gotten out of the car and told you not to worry that Graham would take you anywhere you wanted to go?”

Emma swallowed. She hadn’t thought of that, like at all, but now that Regina had brought it up. “Fair point.”

Regina pulled her buzzing phone out of her clutch, frowned at it, then said, “Come on, Miss Swan, let’s get you out of here.”

“Yeah, about that…ho-ly shit!” Emma heard a low, dark chuckle and without having ever heard the sound before, she knew it was Regina laughing at her. The very simple exterior of the hotel had not prepared Emma for what she was seeing once she got past the entrance. The hotel entrance opened into a lush, gorgeous area with a double row of palm trees, curtains of green plants, and a sunken rectangular fountain with flowing crystal-clear water bisecting the area. A sweet scent of tobacco and flowers hinted the air and Emma breathed it in deep. It was apparently the scent of luxury.

Then she heard Regina’s voice and saw her talking to a man Emma thought must be a concierge. “Hey Regina, hey, wait a minute,” she said, hurrying over to her, almost tripping on her dress. She saw the gentleman Regina had been talking to give her his attention and she fumbled, “Uh, yeah, whatever she just told you, forget about it.”

“Emma.”

“No, seriously, it isn’t needed.”

“I’ll give you two a moment,” the concierge said, bowing deferentially and backing away.

Regina looked confused. “Emma?”

“We need to talk.”

The brunette held her clutch almost protectively in front of her abdomen. “No, Emma, we don’t. We need to go our separate ways.”

“Is that really what you want?” Emma asked. She waited a beat, saw the brief hesitation, and jumped ahead of what Regina probably thought she should say. “Have a drink with me.”

“Emma…”

“One drink.”

“I’ve had enough to drink tonight.”

“It can be coffee,” Emma pushed, “or tea if you don’t want caffeine this late.” When Regina looked at her in exasperation, she tried again. “One drink and if you still want me to go, I’ll leave.” She gestured towards the concierge’s direction. “And we don’t need the guy, I can find my own way.”

Regina’s gaze raked over Emma from head to toe. “It’s the middle of the night and you’re wearing an evening gown. You are not walking down the streets of Cartagena or any city for that matter dressed like that.”

Remarkably, Emma kept forgetting she was not dressed in her normal attire. “I will agree to use the car service when I leave, if you will agree to having a drink with me first.”

Reluctantly, Regina acquiesced, “Fine, but I need to make a call first.” She glanced around the empty area then sighed. “Come up to my room.”

“How very forward of you, Ms Mills,” Emma joked, trying to lighten the mood and only managing to make it worse when Regina stopped walking and spun towards her.

She jabbed a finger at the blonde. “I never told you my last name.”

“Relax, your Majesty,” Emma leaned away from her, one hand rising up slightly in her defense, “I heard Graham call you that in the car.”

The brunette straightened, mentally reviewing the conversation from the car and hitting upon it. She frowned slightly. “You’re right. He did.” Before she could say more, the phone in her hand buzzed. They both looked down at it. Regina quickly rejected the call.

“Cora is calling,” Emma said, having seen the caller ID that popped up. “Again.”

Regina spun on her heel, a sound of frustration coming out of her throat. Emma hesitated then against her better judgment followed after the brunette. When they reached Regina’s suite, the Queen pushed the door open with such force it bounced back off the wall. Emma calmly caught it and gently shut it behind her. Regina’s stiletto heels clicked loudly as the brunette strode across the marble floor to the mini bar. Emma followed her at a slower pace her head on a swivel; she was astonished at how beautiful and spacious the suite was with its high loft ceilings, marble floors, and dark hard wood furniture. She heard Regina’s phone buzz again and saw the brunette throw back a drink. She chose not to comment and walked further into the room where the bed was surprisingly unmade, covers tossed around like it hadn’t been a very restful sleep.

“Miss Swan,” Regina hesitated, looking around for her, then seeing her, “I, uh…” She held up her phone. “I need to make a call. Make yourself at home but…” she grimaced, “if you could be quiet while I’m on the phone, I’d appreciate it.”

“Business call, huh?” Emma said, nodding. “I get it.” She gestured towards the doors at the end of the room which she assumed led to the bathroom. “I can just uh freshen up.”

Regina nodded tightly and Emma headed towards the bathroom. Just before she closed the doors, she heard Regina begin her call.

“Hello, Mother.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ten minutes later, Emma was still in the bathroom when there was a light knock on the doors. Regina, somewhat bashfully, peeked around the doors. She opened her mouth to apologize and then closed it; she gave the blonde a confused almost laughing frown. “What are you doing?”

The blonde had taken her heels off, pulled her dress up to somewhere around her knees, and was seated on the edge of the shower. Emma gestured at her surroundings. “What _is_ this?” She looked up at Regina. “I mean, is it a tub? Is it a shower? I can’t quite figure it out.”

Regina exhaled and gave her a soft smile. She lightly gripped the provided rail and walked down the two steps so she was standing in the shower area in front of the blonde. “I believe they call it a sunken shower.”

“Huh.” Emma looked around it again then smirked up at the brunette. “You could fit a lot of people in this.” Regina arched an eyebrow in response and Emma quickly pushed to her feet. “On second thought, there’s really only room for two.”

“Is that so?” Regina asked, enjoying that she was an inch or two taller than the barefoot blonde.

Emma took a step closer; their hips were almost touching as she nodded. “Uh huh.”

Reluctantly, the brunette took a step back. “I believe you said we needed to talk.”

The blonde chased her, quickly closing the small space between them. “I was wrong.”

That actually made Regina chuckle and the grin that broke out on Emma’s face was a little bit goofy. Regina tucked a stubborn tendril of blonde hair back over Emma’s shoulder. “I imagine being wrong is a familiar state for you, but,” she placed one finger over Emma’s mouth when it opened to argue, “this once, I think you were probably more right than either of us would care to admit.” Regina took another step back. “We need to talk before…”

Emma shivered as the dark eyes took her in from bottom to top, lingering in several spots along the way. She cleared her throat. “Before?”

There was a slight hint of color in Regina’s cheeks as her eyes snapped back to green. “Yes, Miss Swan, _before_.”

Emma loved how the woman purred her name. And when the stilettos turned and made their way back up the two steps out of the fancy shower, she followed helplessly. “Before what?”

Regina glanced over her shoulder, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Before we do anything else.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So.” Emma sat on the nice-looking-but-not-quite-comfortable-couch, cradling a crystal tumbler half- filled with bourbon in her hand. “Is Mother like a code name?”

Regina sat on the opposite end of the couch not looking comfortable either. Despite her earlier protests, she had also deemed a drink advisable for the looming conversation. “Unfortunately, no.”

Emma nodded. “A family business, then?”

“Something like that.”

“And she was calling to make sure the job was, uh…done?”

The brunette exhaled, her shoulders dropping slightly. “Yes,” she admitted. “Upon confirmation, we expect the completion of payment.”

“Well, of course,” Emma said then took a rather large gulp of her drink. They were just casually talking about murder; it was cool. “Kind of seemed like Cora was really blowing up your phone.”

“Yes, well, Mother is nothing if not a perfectionist.” She also took a deep drink then wiped away a stray drop from her lips. “I was a few minutes late reporting in.”

Emma cringed a little inside since she was the reason Regina had been running late. “Sorry about that.”

Regina shrugged, threw back the last of her drink. “If it hadn’t been that, Mother would’ve found something else to criticize.”

Because Emma was entranced by the woman across from her, she easily noticed how the older woman would unconsciously trace the tip of her finger over the scar that dipped ever so slightly into her upper lip as she talked about her mother. She barely knew Regina and yet a flame of hatred for the woman’s mother easily sprung to life in her gut. “Wow, and I thought the way I was raised was fucked up.”

Regina turned towards her. “I beg your pardon.”

Emma shrugged. “Kind of seems like your mom is a real piece of work, yeah?”

“You don’t know anything about my mother,” Regina snapped and actually got to her feet, “or me for that matter.”

Emma looked up at her, eyebrows raised at the unexpected reaction. She thought she’d phrased her opinion rather politely, but she guessed this went under the category of no one else being able to talk bad about someone else’s family. Rather than take the comment back though, she tried for charm. “Well, I’d really like to remedy _half_ that, maybe get to know you a bit better.”

Smoldering dark eyes stared down at her for a long moment before finally relenting. “Fine, but we don’t talk about my mother.”

“Not a problem,” Emma said, happy that Regina had rejoined her on the couch. They were sitting closer to each other than before.

“We also can’t talk about my job.”

Emma opened her mouth; closed it. That was a bit more difficult subject to simply ignore. “But-”

“No, Emma, I’m sorry,” Regina said, “but I simply _can’t_ talk about my job.”

“Like _any_ of it?”

Regina looked exasperated. “There are lines I can’t cross.”

Even though in her line of work Emma knew and valued secrecy, she still had so many questions she wanted to ask. “Just one question,” she pleaded. “Please.”

The brunette rolled her eyes. “Fine. One question. But!” She held up one finger. “I reserve the right to not answer it.”

Emma dropped her head back to the couch. “Oh, come on! If you get to veto the question, I get another question.”

Regina eyed her, a bit of mischief in her expression. “Perhaps.”

Emma grinned. “Okay! One question.”

“One.”

But she easily had a dozen she wanted to ask. How did Regina start in this job? How old was she when she started? How old was she now? Nope, couldn't ask that. How long had she been doing it? How many people had she…nope, better not to know that. How much money did she get paid? Was she called the Queen because her name literally meant queen? Did she always use poison? Would she have to kill Emma if she told her any of this?

“Emma?”

The thief flinched then looked sheepishly at Regina. “Sorry. Uh, okay, yeah. What do you call yourself?”

Regina frowned. “ _That’s_ your question?”

Emma shrugged. She liked to know what she should call her or think of her as, you know, for later when she wasn’t with her but was thinking about her. Assuming, she was still alive. “Yeah, are you like a hitman, hitwoman? Is it like, just killing, or do you do other things…as needed?”

“That’s two questions.”

“Not necessarily,” Emma argued. “Depending on your answer, I’ll know if you only do…specialized work.”

“Specialized?”

It was Emma’s turn to roll her eyes. The woman was being purposefully contrary. “If you listed your job on a resume, what’s your job title?”

Regina shook her head, laughing lightly. “This is absurd.”

Emma liked making her laugh. She had a feeling the woman didn’t laugh much. She prodded Regina’s leg with her toe. “Come on, this is job interview 101 here.”

Regina laughed harder, settling back on the couch, angling herself towards Emma. She ran her hand through her hair, propping her head on her hand. “I guess…I’m an assassin.”

“Oh.” Emma blinked, nodded. “That’s cool.”

The humor slowly drained from her expression, leaving a bittersweet smile in its place. She looked down. “Ready to run yet, Miss Swan?”

“What?” Emma sat forward, realizing she’d stayed quiet too long. “No way, especially not now that I’m picturing you running around on roof tops with a hood and maybe a sword.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “That game has really given everyone the wrong impression of my line of work.” She gestured down at her evening attire. “Besides, you’ve seen what I wear to work.”

Emma eyed her appreciatively. “And I would love to see what you wear to bed.” She cringed and wrinkled her nose up. “Oh fuck, that was awful. Please, forget I said that.”

The brunette watched her over the lip of her glass. Admittedly, she had been unimpressed with the obvious line, but Emma’s immediate reaction to it was amusing. She waited for the blonde to stop rambling, enjoying the tint that colored her cheeks. When green eyes finally met hers again, she said, “Nothing.”

A furrow developed between the thief’s brows. “Huh?”

“You wanted to know what I wear to bed,” Regina spelled it out for her. “I usually don’t wear anything.”

The bourbon glass slipped from Emma’s fingers and tumbled into her lap. They both grabbed for it, trying to minimize any spillage. Regina caught it and placed it on the coffee table while Emma cursed her clumsiness. “It’s okay; it was mostly empty.”

When Regina straightened, their knees were touching and emerald green eyes were staring at her. It wasn’t the same kind of lustful stare she’d seen across the museum; this time the blonde was conveying something more. There was desire, no doubt, but also an unfamiliar sense of tenderness and wonder. It made her uncomfortable, but before she could pull away, Emma’s hand was gently moving her dark hair back behind her ear. Then her touch lingered.

Emma brushed her thumb over Regina’s cheek bone, and she gently cupped the brunette’s face; the brown eyes closed as she leaned into the touch. Regina hummed deep in her throat. “We shouldn’t do this.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably NSFW. Had some internet outage issues at home or I would've posted this last night.   
> This chapter is not my forte of writing but I tried. Hope it's all right.

_“We shouldn’t do this.”_

Emma heard the murmur; she played one fingertip over the sensitive skin just behind Regina’s ear. “You’re probably right,” she agreed quietly, “but I really want to.”

Dark lashes fluttered open. “Me too.”

Emma grinned as she leaned impossibly closer. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

The kiss was gentle, not at all what Emma had imagined when she’d first laid eyes on Regina. Demanding, forceful, up against the wall, knocking over things is what Emma had expected. Well, fantasized. Nothing about Regina was what she expected though and she found that the kiss meant all the more for it. When a delicate tongue traced across her lips, seeking permission for more, Emma gladly deepened the kiss, opening her mouth, leaning in, tasting Regina at last.

Naturally, the assassin tasted like the bourbon they’d been drinking. As if the alcohol was a reminder, the kiss changed. What had been tentative and exploring, almost innocent, began to heat up. Fingers dug into Emma’s waist and the lust that had flared to life at first sight roared back into an open flame. Emma pulled back, breathing hard and the moan that emanated from Regina at the loss of contact fanned the flames.

“Regina,” she dropped her forehead to the brunette’s, her thumb traced over the woman’s lips, “If we need to stop, please tell me now.”

A hot, wet mouth briefly enveloped Emma’s thumb, tongue swirling around the tip, suggesting promises of what else it could do. It was Emma’s turn to groan when Regina released the digit. Then she was stunned and slightly devastated when the woman in question moved completely away from her and stood up.

Emma put a hand down on the couch, she needed the support at the loss of contact. She licked her lips; the brief taste of Regina hadn’t been nearly enough. She exhaled, gathered herself, and expecting to be kicked out, she sat back up to see Regina standing directly in front of her, arms raised, hands at the back of her neck. Emma’s brows pulled together in confusion. “Regi-?”

Regina’s hands undid the clasp holding her dress together at the back of her neck. The material fell, drifted down to her waist, exposing nothing but bare skin from the waist up. Emma felt her eyes widen at the toned stomach and pierced belly button staring her in the face. Slowly, Emma’s eyes traced upwards, lingering on darkened areolas with stiff peaks, traveling over a slightly flushed neck, until meeting dark eyes that for a second showed uncertainty before matching the lips that quirked into a smirk.

“See anything you like?”

Emma got to her feet, her hands reached for the waist, as her eyes stayed locked on brown. The brown in Regina’s eyes was barely visible with pupils blown wide. “You’re exquisite.”

Regina sucked in a breath at the whispered exhalation. She had expected Emma to pounce. She hadn’t expected the darkened green gaze to never leave hers even as thumbs began to gently caress red lines left behind by the dress’ inlaid corset. Disrobing had been a bold move that Regina had hoped would speed things along, but the blonde seemed content to move slowly.

As hands spanned Regina’s rib cage and thumbs began to stroke upwards, Emma licked her lips, her gaze dropping to dark red lips. “I’m afraid, your Majesty, that there is no way, I will be able to return the favor you’ve just given me.”

Regina squirmed as thumbs teased the sides of her breasts. “What?” Green eyes snapped back up to meet hers and the goofy, slightly sheepish look that was all Emma, made an appearance.

“I can’t get this dress off with any kind of grace,” Emma admitted, “and I certainly can’t take it off in sexy revealing half measures.”

Regina laughed and felt something inside her relax. She threw her arms around the blonde’s neck and grabbed another kiss. The polite meeting of mouths from earlier was gone replaced with a simmering desire. Regina placed one hand on the exposed section of Emma’s abdomen, her fingers teasing beneath the cutaway fabric. “I believe I can help you with that, Miss Swan.”

A firm hand guided Emma to turn around. Delicate fingers stroked down her bare arm and she sucked in air when warm breath teased across her neck. Regina pressed against her back and Emma wanted nothing more in life than to be free from the single bit of material standing between her and the feeling of Regina’s bare breasts against her skin.

“Shall I unzip you, Em-ma?”

Teeth nibbled at the blonde’s ear and she eagerly nodded. “God, yes.” Dark, husky laughter echoed in her ear as the zip of her dress was slowly dragged down from her neck to the top of her ass. Emma started to turn but was held firm by hands on her hips.

“Not yet,” the mouth at her ear whispered as warm hands parted the dress along the zipper and pushed away the material, dragging it down off Emma’s shoulder and away from her arms. Stiff nipples pressed against her back as Regina’s mouth worked a wet path down her neck. The assassin’s hot tongue played in the hollow of Emma’s collarbone before she whispered, “You’re shaking, dear.”

It took a second for the dark voice to even penetrate the lust filled haze filling Emma’s brain, and slowly Emma realized Regina was right; she was trembling. And she _so_ didn’t care. She wet her lips. “Your fault.” The dark chuckle whispered again against her flesh. Emma tried to look over her shoulder. “Please let me see you.”

The lips working across Emma’s bare shoulders twisted into a grin. “Soon, Em-ma.” She nipped at her neck on the opposite side. “I’ve almost got you out of this dress.”

“Wha-?” Emma opened eyes that had fallen shut and realized Regina’s hands were at her hips again, under the material, and were pushing it down. “How did you-?”

The material resisted for a brief second and then slid down toned thighs and calves, pooling at the blonde’s feet. Regina kissed the back of her neck. “You were distracted.” Her hands were back at Emma’s hips. “Black looks good on you.”

Emma jumped as Regina gently snapped the waistband of the blonde’s black thong. The scant material the only thing she was still wearing. “What about you, your Majesty?” Emma cleared her throat. She needed to get back in the game. “Did you wear _all_ black tonight?”

“If you’re asking about my underwear, Miss Swan,” she nipped Emma’s neck, “I’m not wearing any.”

“Oh fuck!” Emma spun around unable to wait a second longer. Regina let out a small sound of shock as the blonde took her by surprise. Then the thief’s mouth was on hers, wet, open and seeking as their bare breasts slotted against each other, eliciting another moan from Emma even as her tongue sought Regina’s. The kiss was hard and fast, Emma pulling away quickly. She wanted, _needed_ to taste more of the assassin.

Regina threw her head back, exposing more of her neck to the blonde’s seeking mouth. Strong, muscled arms wrapped around her as hands gripped her shoulder blades. Emma sucked at her pulse point and Regina forced herself to push back. “No marks.”

“Agreed. Same,” Emma grunted, releasing her skin and moving further down to leave wet kisses across the tops of Regina’s breasts. The brunette sucked in a breath when Emma’s tongue swiped between them and finally a thumb stroked over her nipple. “Careful.”

Emerald dark eyes looked up and were suddenly moving back up to be level with her. Another kiss clashed them together before Emma asked, “Careful?”

 The hand at Regina’s lower back that was inching beneath the material of the dress that still hung at her hips was as distracting as the thumb that was gliding back and forth over her nipple. She had to concentrate to remember why she had issued the warning. “Your dress,” she managed finally. “I didn’t want you to get tangled up in it.”

Emma looked down to see the material pooled around her bare feet. Carefully, she stepped out of it, inadvertently stepping away from Regina who mewled at the immediate loss of heat and the hand that slipped away from her ass. Hearing the noise, Emma then took another step back. She smirked when Regina followed her. “Uh-unh, your Majesty,” she stepped out of reach again, holding up her hand. “You are overdressed.”

“Whose fault is that?” Regina growled placing the blame squarely on Emma even as her hands pushed almost angrily at the dress until it dropped.

Even with the warning that Regina was going commando, Emma stared. She knew she was staring. She knew her mouth had dropped open slightly, and she heard herself audibly swallow. “You’re wearing…stockings.”

Despite hating the separation, Regina was also extremely grateful for it as she was finally able to see the blonde as well. The toned arms that she had already fallen in love with were a mere tease compared to the lightly defined six pack that faded to a flat plane disappearing underneath the black underwear. “Now who’s overdressed?”

Emma blushed and began to hook her fingers under the material when Regina shook her head. “Those are mine, and I will take them when I’m ready.” The blush intensified and Regina fell even more in lust with the thief. With more grace than Emma had displayed, Regina stepped out of her pool of clothes and walked towards the blonde, then past her. She felt Emma’s gaze remain fixed on her and she didn’t stop till she stood next to the bed. Then she crooked a finger, summoning the thief to her side.

Emma managed not to fall to her knees and crawl towards the woman that was a queen but it was close. She closed the distance and once again the control had somehow shifted to the brunette as Regina drew her down for another kiss, open mouthed but playfully denying as she pulled back whenever Emma pushed for more. A hand on the blonde’s chest had them both stopping for breath, foreheads together as Regina lazily traced a small circle against Emma’s chest. “You like my stockings?”

Emma nodded. “You’re pretty much stomping all over every fantasy I’ve ever had.”

Regina slipped to the side of Emma’s mouth, teasing her ear lobe with her teeth before she whispered, “I usually wear them with a garter belt.” The blonde mewled and Regina guided her hand to the top of her thigh. “I think you should take them off for me.”

Emma dropped to her knees and could immediately see a sheen of wetness on the inside of Regina’s thighs. She could smell the woman’s arousal and leaned towards the source only to be stopped by a hand in her hair. “Don’t get distracted, dear.”

Emma hummed in disappointment but focused on her task. She started at the bottom, gently pulling one foot free from the red-bottomed stiletto. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder for balance and decided she should get the other shoe off as well before traveling upwards. There was a small sigh of relief from above when both feet were free and flat on the floor. “Next time,” Emma murmured as she began slowly traveling upwards, “I’ll give you a proper foot massage.”

“Who says there will be a next time?” Regina asked, her hand tightening on the blonde’s shoulder.

Emma kissed the sensitive skin right above the top of the stocking then looked up. “There will be.” She grinned and began rolling the stocking down. She kissed the top of Regina’s foot as soon as it was bare and chuckled. “I’ve wanted to worship you since the moment I saw you walk into the museum tonight.”

“Have you now?”

“Mmm-hmmm,” Emma hummed distractedly as she stroked her hands up the other leg, giving it equal attention. She teased turning her head towards the apex of Regina’s thighs and felt the tug at her hair again. She smiled, settled for kissing the inner thigh, and began rolling down that stocking as well. When she was finished, her knees were killing her but she looked up, willing to wait for the assassin to call the next move.

Dark eyes that were almost black gazed down at her. “Get on the bed, Miss Swan,” she said, tongue moistening still red lips, “I’m hungry.”

Emma tried to not appear too eager as she slid onto the bed. She moved towards the middle, followed closely by Regina who pushed her down onto her back before swinging a leg over and straddling Emma above her waist. They stilled for a moment, both breathing heavily, eyes locked on each other for a heartbeat. Then Regina lowered herself and rocked her hips forward.

“OhmyGod!” Emma’s hands clenched at the bedsheets as Regina left a hot, wet trail against her abs. The darker woman laughed in her throat and leaned forward to seize Emma’s mouth again in a kiss. She stroked her hands down the blonde’s arms, making her release the bedding. Regina took her by the wrists and guided her arms up above her head, folding Emma’s hands over the edge of the mattress.

“Stay there.”

Emma grasped the bed in acknowledgment but also lifted her head towards the breast that was hanging so tantalizingly close. She managed to brush the tip of her tongue across a nipple before Regina sat back up. The brunette hummed in approval and lowered her chest so the thief could reach the globe she sought.

A hot mouth immediately closed around Regina’s breast sucking hard before switching to a series of flicks with her tongue. The assassin slid a hand between their bodies and pinched Emma’s breast in return. The blonde squeaked but didn’t allow herself to be distracted switching to Regina’s other breast and giving it equal attention.

Not thinking beyond wanting to touch and feel, Emma let go of the mattress and stroked her hands down Regina’s sides. The breast in her mouth was immediately pulled away as her hands were caught and trapped against the bed. “Did I say you could move?”

Green eyes blinked in slight confusion, she tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by her shoulders as a knee pinned her hand. The assassin was quick and stronger than she looked. Emma frowned. “Regina?”

“It’s not for the whole night,” the brunette said, freeing the blonde’s hand from under her knee. “It’s just this round.” She kissed the inside of Emma's wrist and guided both hands back up to the edge of the bed. “Keep them there until I say, and I promise you’ll be rewarded.”

Emma eyed her for a moment then regrasped the mattress with both hands. “When you say this round, that sounds promising.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Regina smirked at her then moved to Emma’s side, settling down beside her. That black-green gaze never left her and she looked up. “Ready?”

Emma nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“So articulate,” Regina muttered before leaning over and teasing Emma’s nipple with her tongue. The blonde moaned, dragging in a breath. Regina swirled and suckled the globe enjoying the way Emma squirmed beneath her. Glancing up, she saw the blonde’s eyes were closed and she snaked a hand down and cupped the blonde’s cloth covered core. She felt Emma tense beneath her cheek and she bit down on the nipple the same time she lightly tapped her hand. Emma jerked, eyes flying open to glare down.

“Eyes on me,” Regina said before moving over to the blonde’s other breast. She held the gaze as she flitted her tongue against the nipple. The muscles in Emma’s arms tightened in response and that was a sight Regina knew would never get old. She sucked hard earning another groan as she tapped Emma’s center again.

“Gina!” Emma growled in response.

The brunette smirked and kissed in between her breasts before sitting up. She began rubbing her finger up and down the already damp cloth. “I already told you, Emma. This little piece of cloth is mine now.” She applied more pressure feeling the excess moisture pooled beneath it. “I will do with it as I please.”

“I’d rather you just do away with it,” Emma snapped then grunted as she was tapped again a little harder.

“All in good time,” Regina said, sliding off the edge of the bed, enjoying the blonde’s moan of protest. “I’m not going far,” she assured as she walked to the foot of the bed. Emma’s gaze was locked on her as she tapped one ankle then the other. “Wider, Em-ma.”

The blonde spread her legs and shuddered as the assassin crawled onto the bed, situating herself between them. “Hmmmm,” she leaned in and rubbed her nose against the damp fabric, “you are so wet already.” She pushed in further, forcing the fabric against swollen folds. “Have you come already?”

“No!” Emma groaned. Regina was touching her in all the right places but it wasn’t enough; it wasn’t nearly enough. She’d never wanted to burn a piece of her own clothing more in her life than she did right now. “Regina, please.”

Regina teased at the edge of the garment with her teeth, popping it against the skin. “Please, what?”

“Please, stop teasing,” Emma pleaded, “I need…”

One finger slipped beneath the underwear and slid through her folds. “You need what?”

“That! I need that; I need your touch. Please, please, just take it off.” She jerked as the finger slid ever so briefly over her clit then disappeared, wet cloth snapping back into place. She dropped her head back to the pillow. “Please, Regina.”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Regina hooked her fingers into the material, “hips up.”

Emma complied as fast as she could, sighing with relief as the material slid down her legs and off. She was already breathing hard and Regina hadn’t even really touched her yet. She was also pretty sure her shoulders were going to be sore as hell tomorrow. She lifted her head when she felt Regina’s weight on the bed again. The feeling of being prey to a predator was overwhelming as the assassin moved between her legs.

“What are you-?”

Regina stretched and reached past her for the extra pillow beside her head. The brunette smirked at her then tapped her hip. “Lift up.”

Emma did as she was told and felt the pillow stuffed underneath her. Then Regina’s hands were on her thighs, stroking the sensitive skin and pushing them further apart. Brown eyes held hers as she lowered her mouth towards Emma’s center; Emma wasn’t sure she was even breathing. The first lick broke their gaze as Regina tasted and then began to feast.

Emma’s hips bucked and she cried out as Regina’s tongue mapped out every crevice, tasted every fold, and sucked on every bit of skin she could reach. Except for one. Regina teased her from top to bottom, she nipped at her inner thighs, and sucked up every bit of moisture Emma offered, and she did it all without touching the one place Emma desperately needed her to touch.

“Regina! Regina, please! Please!”

“What, Emma?” The brunette looked up, pouting slightly at being interrupted and Emma about died seeing her wetness glistening on the woman’s mouth and chin. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No! Gods, no!” Emma’s arms were shaking she was holding onto the mattress so tightly. “But please, please…”

“Please, what?” the question was asked so innocently as Regina rested her head against Emma’s inner thigh.

Emma started, “I need-“

“You have no idea how badly I want to mark you,” Regina interrupted her before kissing the sensitive skin, nipping at it before looking back up at the blonde.

Emma blinked. “What?”

Regina traced a fingertip against Emma’s inner thigh. “I want. To mark you.”

“Woman, if you’ll fucking give my clit some attention and give me a goddamn orgasm, you can mark whatever the hell you want.”

The assassin’s smile was devilish and Emma knew she had just been played. She knew and she didn’t care as long as she got an orgasm out of it.

“I’ll make you a deal, Miss Swan,” Regina said, dark eyes practically glittering, “for every orgasm I give you, I get a mark.”

While she’d been talking, her fingers had found Emma’s clit and already begun working the blonde back up. They touched gently and quickly, the slightest pressure passing over the bundle of nerves. Emma sucked in a breath. The assassin played dirty.

“Do we have a deal, Em-ma?”

Emma knew it was a bad idea, but when Regina spoke, her mouth had been so close to the promise land that Emma had felt the vibrations of her speech. Regina spread her folds apart with her fingers and blew across the engorged nub.

“Fuck! Yes! Deal! Whatever!”

The smile that answered her could have lit up an entire room. The sound Emma made when that warm mouth finally went down on her and sucked on her clit was probably heard by everyone in the hotel. Once begun, Regina didn’t let up. Her tongue flicked and twisted; she sucked and nibbled until Emma’s bucking hips and spasming muscles actually dislodged her. She threw an arm across Emma’s middle to hold her down and drilled her tongue inside the thief. Emma yelled again when in the midst of her second orgasm, two of Regina’s fingers replaced her tongue and sheathed themselves deep inside her. The assassin was brutal in her execution, thrusting hard, curling her fingers just so as she stroked, and as Emma’s muscles began to tighten again, Regina rubbed her clit. Hard. Emma dragged the pillow from underneath her head, pulled it over her face and screamed into it. And still the woman didn’t stop. A third finger was added, a nipple was twisted and pulled, she heard a sexy voice demanding one more, and Emma shook her head. Her entire body was shaking, trembling, she was done. Then her clit was once again being attacked by that gorgeous, unbelievably devious mouth and Emma flew over the edge, her entire field of vision blacking out as she slumped boneless against the mattress.

Regina sat up and lifted the pillow off Emma’s face to check she was still breathing. With proof of life confirmed, Regina smirked, pleased with herself. She eyed a spot on the blonde’s inner thigh that had been calling to her. She settled back down and got to work leaving a mark that with a little bit of effort would remind Miss Swan of her for weeks to come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

When Emma woke up, the room was incredibly bright. She groaned and buried her face further into the pillow while she reached out blindly with one arm. She was not overly surprised to find she was alone in the bed. When she raised up to her elbows to look around, she felt the twinge of soreness in her shoulders that she’d expected. She chuckled and looked around. “Regina?”

She didn’t hear an immediate response but the doors to the bathroom were closed. She spied her dress folded on the couch, heels stacked neatly beside it; their drinking glasses had also been tidied away. Emma was generally a light sleeper but she supposed an assassin would be quiet on her feet moving around. That thought should probably unnerve her.

Looking in the other direction she spied a robe obviously laid out for her. She grinned and threw back the covers, sliding her legs off the bed she hissed as her thighs rubbed together. The red purple mark on her inner thigh was a doozy; tight jeans were going to be fun for a few days. There were allegedly marks on her ass and shoulder blade as well. The Queen had been quite pleased with herself.

It had taken almost an hour for Emma to fully recover from the Queen’s attentions, but she had repaid her debt. And she’d been quite pleased with herself, when Regina had actually pushed her away. She slipped the robe on and tied it loosely. Round two, or would it be considered three, had put her back at a deficit. She owed Regina two orgasms which she was hoping to make good on this morning.  

Walking across the spacious room, she knocked on the bathroom door and heard Regina call for entry. When she opened the door, she was both elated and disappointed. There would apparently be no round four this morning as the woman in question was putting on the finishing touches of her makeup.

“Good morning, Miss Swan,” she said, leaning in towards the mirror. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“I wish you had.” Emma leaned against the door frame and blatantly ogled the assassin. She was already wearing sky-high heels and a black leather skirt that framed her ass perfectly. A plum colored blouse and black jacket were hanging nearby leaving the queen in nothing but her black lace bra from the waist up.

Regina eyed her in the mirror. “I would’ve enjoyed that,” she admitted freely, “but my plane leaves in two hours.”

“Damn, we didn’t even get to try out the sunken shower together,” Emma said watching the queen meticulously apply her lipstick.

“It’s nice but a bit too open air for me,” Regina said. She capped the lipstick and threw it in her clutch. “I have the room until noon tomorrow though so feel free to use it.” She reached for the shirt and began buttoning it up.

Emma sunk her hands into the pockets of the robe to keep herself from reaching out and undoing the shirt’s straining third button. “Nah, I’ll just head back to my place.”

“Keep the key, at least,” Regina said, pulling the jacket on. “We both know you’re working late tonight, and I believe this is closer than your hotel.”

Yes, Emma would be working late since she did have a necklace to steal, after all. She was supposed to have picked it up last night but with everything that happened, the location would’ve been way too hot. She was hoping all of the excitement at the museum would work in her favor tonight with security being fatigued after being up all night the night before. “How do you know where I’m staying?”

“I told you I researched you,” she smirked and picked up her small carryall. Emma didn’t move out of the doorway as she approached. Regina eyed her then reached out and pulled the left side of the robe aside. There was a streak of light reddish bruising along the blonde’s collarbone. “Hmm, not my best work.”

“Well, you were pretty distracted,” Emma laughed. She’d been knuckle deep inside the brunette at the time she’d tried leaving her fourth mark. “You’re still a damn vampire though.”

The devil lit up brown eyes as Regina looked down past Emma’s waist. “May I see it?”

Emma snorted and pulled aside the robe to show off the already purpling mark on her inner thigh. She held her breath when fingers gently traced over it. She laughed at the content murmur she heard from the assassin and reclosed the robe. “Happy?”

“It’ll do,” Regina said, clearly pleased with herself as she sidestepped past the blonde.

Emma followed her out and watched as she put the last of her things into her bag. She took a seat on the couch as the brunette made a circuit around the room, double checking for misplaced items as well as wiping down a few obvious surfaces.

“So, what happens now?”

Regina was checking her phone and answered absently, “Graham will be here to pick me up momentarily.”

“I meant,” Emma said awkwardly, “about us.”

She clicked off the phone and tucked it away, not looking up. “There shouldn’t be an us.”

Emma nodded. “I know that.”

“However…”

Emma leaned forward at that one word of hope. The woman still wasn’t looking at her, but Emma watched as Regina nervously tucked her hair back behind her ear. “Yeah?”

Regina finally looked up. “My niece is having a graduation party Saturday night in Manhattan.”

Emma held her gaze, waiting. When the moment stretched out with no more information, she asked, “And?”

She cleared her throat. “And I’ll make sure you’re on the guest list.”

There was a knock at the door. Regina moved to open it and Emma got to her feet. “Okay, great! Uhm, what time and where?”

“Good morning, ma’am,” the employee at the door greeted. “Your car is waiting for you down front. Do you have any bags I may assist you with?”

“Just the one.” Regina stepped aside and pointed it out to him. He quickly entered the room and picked up the bag. “Please let my driver know I’ll be right down.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Emma caught her arm as soon as he left. “Regina? What time Saturday? And is it this Saturday coming up or the following Saturday?”

“This Saturday.”

“Like in six days?”

“Yes.”

Emma hadn’t planned on being in New York in six days, but she could make it work. “Okay, where?”

The devilish grin was back. “Well, Miss Swan, if you are as good at what you do as my contacts seem to think, and you really want to see me again, you’ll be able to figure it out.”

Emma frowned for a second and then started laughing. “Oh my God.” She shook her head. “Can I, at least, have your niece’s name?”

Regina picked up her clutch and opened the door. “Good bye, Miss Swan.”

Accepting her fate, Emma just laughed and followed her to the door. “I think I am going to try that sunken shower before I leave.”

Regina was walking away when she called back over her shoulder. “Oh, and my niece’s name is Robin.”

Emma finally shut the door when she could no longer see the assassin queen. She loved watching that woman walk. She started walking towards the bathroom, thinking about what information she had. A graduation party in Manhattan and a girl named Robin. Hell, she didn’t even know if it was a college or high school graduation. At least Robin wasn’t an overly common name. She could cross reference with Regina Mills and Cora, find the sibling that way which should lead her to the niece. She hoped the Mills weren’t an overly large family.

Halfway across the room, she snapped her fingers and turned back towards her neatly folded dress. After her shower, she was just going to have walk-of-shame it back to her hotel and try to get some sleep before tonight. She shook out the dress and draped it over her arm, carrying it towards the bathroom. Maybe the steam from the fancy shower would get out some of the wrinkles.

It was only later when she was getting dressed that she realized her black thong was nowhere to be found. “And I thought I was the damn thief.”

Oh, yeah. She would definitely be seeing the Queen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a very short scene in my head of Emma meeting Zel for the first time and how that would play out. If I manage to flesh it out a bit I may add another one-shot to this series. Cheers! And thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I have never been to Cartagena or its museums. Hopefully, nothing is horribly incorrect.  
> The Godman necklace is a real thing if you want to google it.


End file.
